Image capturing apparatus, image capturing method, and machine readable medium storing thereon image capturing program

An image capturing method for an image capturing apparatus provided to a movable body, comprising:

• an image capturing step of capturing an image by a capturing unit provided to the image capturing apparatus;
• a speed measurement step of measuring a speed of the movable body;
• a displacement calculating step of calculating a displacement of a region indicating a subject which exists in an angle-of-view of said image capturing unit in an image captured in said image capturing step based on the speed during an exposure time of said image capturing step;
• a capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating step of calculating a rate-of-change of a capturing magnification in said image capturing step, wherein the displacement is compensated in said capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating step;
• a capturing magnification control step of controlling the capturing magnification in order to change it by the rate-of-change;
• and
• a capturing timing control step of making the image capturing unit capture an image while the capturing magnification changing by the rate-of-change.

A machine readable medium having an image capturing program stored thereon, which when executed by a machine causes an image capturing apparatus provided to a movable body to act as an image capturing apparatus, comprising:

• an image capturing unit which captures an image;
• a speed measurement unit which measures a speed of the movable body;
• a displacement calculating unit which calculates a displacement of a region indicating a subject which exists in an angle-of-view of said image capturing unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit based on the speed during an exposure time of said image capturing unit;
• a capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating unit which calculates a rate-of-change of a capturing magnification of said image capturing unit, wherein said capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating unit compensates the displacement;
• a capturing magnification control unit which controls the capturing magnification in order to change it by the rate-of-change;
• and
• a capturing timing control unit which makes said image capturing unit capture an image while the capturing magnification changing by the rate-of-change.

An image recognition system, comprising:

• an image capturing unit which captures an image;
• a speed measurement unit which measures a speed of the movable body;
• a displacement calculating unit which calculates a displacement of a region indicating a subject which exists in an angle-of-view of said image capturing unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit based on the speed during an exposure time of said image capturing unit;
• a capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating unit which calculates a rate-of-change of a capturing magnification of said image capturing unit, wherein said capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating unit compensates the displacement;
• a capturing magnification control unit which controls the capturing magnification in order to change it by the rate-of-change;
• a capturing timing control unit which makes said image capturing unit capture an image while the capturing magnification changing by the rate-of-change;
• and
• an image recognition unit which recognizes the subject in the image, which is captured by said image capturing unit under control of said capturing timing control unit.

An image recognition method, comprising:

• an image capturing step of capturing an image by a capturing unit provided to the image capturing apparatus;
• a speed measurement step of measuring a speed of the movable body;
• a displacement calculating step of calculating a displacement of a region indicating a subject which exists in an angle-of-view of said image capturing unit in an image captured in said image capturing step based on the speed during an exposure time of said image capturing step;
• a capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating step of calculating a rate-of-change of a capturing magnification in said image capturing step, wherein the displacement is compensated in said capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating step;
• a capturing magnification control step of controlling the capturing magnification in order to change it by the rate-of-change;
• a capturing timing control step of making the image capturing unit capture an image while the capturing magnification changing by the rate-of-change;
• and
• an image recognition step of recognizing the subject in the image captured by the image capturing unit under control of said capturing timing control step.

A machine readable medium having an image recognition program stored thereon, which when executed by a machine causes a machine to act as an image recognition system, comprising:

• an image capturing unit which captures an image;
• a speed measurement unit which measures a speed of the movable body;
• a displacement calculating unit which calculates a displacement of a region indicating a subject which exists in an angle-of-view of said image capturing unit in an image captured by said image capturing unit based on the speed during an exposure time of said image capturing unit;
• a capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating unit which calculates a rate-of-change of a capturing magnification of said image capturing unit, wherein said capturing magnification rate-of-change calculating unit compensates the displacement;
• a capturing magnification control unit which controls the capturing magnification in order to change it by the rate-of-change;
• a capturing timing control unit which makes said image capturing unit capture an image while the capturing magnification changing by the rate-of-change;
• and
• an image recognition unit which recognizes the subject in the image, which is captured by said image capturing unit under control of said capturing timing control unit.